Mike M. Burke

Is the oldest of four. Brothers Jason (b. 1977), Chris (b. 1979), and sister Ryan (b. 1985)

Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Mike grew up the small farming town of North Branford, Connecticut just outside of New Haven. His father, a Vietnam vet, was a police officer and his mother was an office shipping clerk for automobile parts. He is the oldest of two brothers and a sister. At the young age of twelve Mike discovered he had a talent for doing celebrity impersonations. The reaction from those around him were of amazement as he manipulated his voice in remarkable ways. Soon after he jumped into stand-up comedy while only thirteen years old. Mike's big break came to him in early 1992 when, at the age of sixteen, he and a small group of friends, created a new talk/variety television show. The show, "Comedy After Dark starring Mike Burke", gave him a platform for what he loved doing, performing and make others laugh. He served as producer, writer, and talk show host. The show originally aired on the town's public access station for a short time. Mike wanted a bigger audience so they moved the show to cable and it became a smash hit throughout parts of Connecticut. Mike and his cast had become local stars and the show, which featured political satire, sketch comedy, and improvisation went on to become the cable station's most watched show in their history.

In early 1993, Mike made an attempt to become David Letterman's replacement for the NBC talk show "Late Night". He had contacted NBC and sent in an audition tape which featured clips from his TV show "Comedy After Dark starring Mike Burke." NBC replied soon after. They said they would consider his audition tape if he could get his work protected through the Writers Guild of America and get a credited Agent. Mike decided not to go further with his pursuit choosing to instead graduate High School with his fellow classmates. Conan O'Brien was eventually chosen as the new host of Late Night.